Insulated structure for a refrigeration unit

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing refrigeration units lack an efficient and reliable structure for integrating insulation material, leading to suboptimal thermal performance and assembly challenges.

Innovation Solution

An insulated structure comprising an outer wrapper, inner liner, and trim breaker, with locator pins and alignment tabs that define an interior volume for insulation, ensuring precise assembly and enhanced thermal insulation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional insulation structures are used in refrigeration units, then assembly is simpler without alignment features, but thermal performance is suboptimal due to lack of precise insulation material integration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal performanceVSAvoidassembly structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The insulation structure is segmented into distinct functional components: outer wrapper, inner liner, and trim breaker, each with specific alignment features. This segmentation allows precise positioning of insulation material while maintaining modular assembly, resolving the contradiction between thermal performance and assembly complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Alignment features (locator pins, alignment tabs, receivers) are pre-integrated into the structure during manufacturing. This preliminary action ensures precise insulation material integration is achieved without requiring complex assembly procedures, thereby improving thermal performance while keeping assembly simple.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If insulation material is integrated without a structured assembly approach, then manufacturing is easier, but thermal performance is suboptimal

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal performanceVSAvoidassembly process ease

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The alignment features (locator pins fitting into receivers, alignment tabs) enable the insulation material to self-align and self-position during assembly. This self-service mechanism ensures optimal thermal performance through precise integration while simplifying the manufacturing process, as no complex positioning procedures are needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Manufacturing precision

If alignment features such as locator pins and alignment tabs are added to ensure precise insulation integration, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinsulation material positioning precisionVSAvoidnumber of alignment components

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Alignment features are strategically placed only at critical locations where precise positioning is needed (locator pins at corners, alignment tabs at edges). This localized application of complexity achieves high manufacturing precision for insulation material positioning while minimizing the overall number of alignment components, thus resolving the contradiction between precision and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20260078944A1Insulated structure for a refrigeration unit

Publication Date: 2026.03.19 WHIRLPOOL CORP

AI summary

An insulated structure for a refrigeration unit includes an outer wrapper, at least one bracket coupled to the outer wrapper and having at least one locator pin that extends outward therefrom, an inner liner, and a trim breaker coupled to and extending between the outer wrapper and the inner liner, such that the outer wrapper, the inner liner, and the trim breaker cooperate to define an interior volume for receiving insulation material therein. The trim breaker includes at least one alignment tab that defines a receiver that receives the at least one locator pin therein.